In 2016, Ryan Lochte was at his peak after winning his 12th Olympic medal. A decade later, he sold 9 of those medals and turned a page as he transitioned to a different career. The past decade marked many lows for Lochte, but it was his ex-wife’s words that cut deeper than any loss.

Ryan Lochte married Kayla Rae Reid in 2018, and the couple shared three children. However, Lochte’s career went into a tailspin after the 2016 Rio scandal, which was later dubbed the “Lochtegate.” Lochte tried to keep his head down and particiated at the 2021 Olympic cycle qualification to salvage his career.

A poor trial in Omaha saw him finish 7th in the 200-meter individual medley final with a time of 1:59.67, as he missed a chance to secure a spot on a fifth consecutive U.S. Olympic team. It effectively ended his competitive swimming career, and trouble started seeping into his personal life.

After the couple separated in 2025, Lochte later shared details about that 2021 period. Looking back at his mental state following the failed Tokyo qualification, Lochte recalled being, “You’re worthless, you’re a loser. You need to get up and get a job.”

At the time, Ryan Lochte was no longer living the Olympic superstar life. Endorsement deals dried up, income vanished, and the structure anchoring his life for years collapsed.

“And I was like, ‘I really can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’m lost,” Lochte admitted while describing the emotional weight he carried during that period.

The 2021 crisis wasn’t new; it was the second wave of a spiral that began after Rio 2016.

During the Rio Games, Ryan Lochte and his three U.S. teammates stopped at a gas station in Barra da Tijuca after a night out celebrating. The group was intoxicated, damage occurred at the station, and security guards confronted them before they were allowed to leave after paying for the damage. Soon after, Lochte publicly claimed they had been robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police officers.

The story quickly reached the rest of the world, but the Brazilian police subsequently discovered that no robbery had occurred. The backlash that followed destroyed much of Lochte’s public image overnight. Once viewed as one of America’s biggest swimming stars, he quickly became one of the most criticized athletes in the world. Major sponsors, including Speedo and Ralph Lauren, dropped him, reportedly costing him nearly $2 million annually in endorsements.

But finances paled next to the emotional wreckage. Lochte later admitted he’d entered a dark mental state. He described feeling hated, isolated, and emotionally lost as he revealed he had thoughts about “not wanting to wake up.” At one point, he even admitted he had ideas of self-harm.

Looking back, Lochte believes part of the problem was how unprepared he was for fame. “No one ever taught me what happens when you become famous or when you get all this money,” Lochte said.

When Lochte failed to qualify for the 2021 Olympics, old wounds reopened, forcing him to confront life after elite swimming as his marriage became increasingly troublesome.

“My wife, we were about to get a divorce because she was like, ‘Who are you?’” he recalled. “I would wake up every day, look at myself in the mirror, and be like, ‘F**king pathetic.’ I would cry all the time.”

By 2025, the relationship had fully broken down. Reid filed for divorce in Florida, and court filings described the marriage as “irretrievably broken.” Lochte started dating Molly Gillihan, and the couple moved in together in January 2026.

That chapter ended one aspect of his life, but another was beginning, and one that caught many of his admirers by surprise.

Ryan Lochte’s transition into coaching

Even after winning 12 Olympic medals, Ryan Lochte later made the unexpected decision to sell nine of them over the years, raising around $550,000 in total. The sales included silver and bronze medals first, followed later by gold medals from Athens, Beijing, and Rio relay events.

Speculation linked medal sales to debt and divorce. But Lochte’s new coaching role at Missouri State suggested otherwise. But Ryan Lochte insists money was never the real reason behind selling the medals. For Lochte, the medals were never the most meaningful part of his Olympic journey.

“I’m financially A-OK to support my entire Brady Bunch family and me,” Lochte said. “A lot of people got that wrong. Do I have some tax debt? Yes, but I did it because I don’t need them. And I’ve done the hard work. The thing that gets me the most is the journey that it took me to get there. The medals, they were just collecting dust in a sock drawer,” he added.

Now, years removed from his Olympic peak, Lochte is set for a fresh start as he enters coaching. According to Front Office Sports, the six-time Olympic gold medalist joined the Missouri State swim program’s coaching staff as an assistant to head coach Dave Collins with a contract that is for $30,000 a year plus potential bonuses.

“To now step into a coaching role and pour that experience back into student-athletes is something I take seriously. It’s about more than times and results,” Lochte said of his foray into coaching. “It’s about helping young men and women build discipline, resilience, and confidence that will carry them far beyond the pool. I’ve lived the highs and the challenges of this sport, and I want to use that perspective to guide them, support them, and help them reach their full potential in and out of the water.”

On her Instagram post, Gillihan showered support on her partner, showing what a turnaround he has had.“

Love you. I am beyond, beyond proud of you. This is what you were made to do!!! Congrats, my lovie!” Gillihan wrote.

After a decade of struggles, Lochte, despite not earning millions as he used to, is at peace with himself.